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J. JAUQUET EI'AL 7 June 11, 1957 DISPLAY Filed m 26. 1954 J EA N dA UQ UE T WILL/AM Z EMBOCH BY INVZNTQRS.

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United States Patent DISPLAY Jean Jauquet, Mexico City, Mexico, and William Zemboch, Cincinnati, Ohio; said Jauquet assignor to said Zemboch Application May 26, 1954, Serial No. 432,540

6 Claims. (Cl. 40-34) of this type in which a plurality of rings or other members are mounted ofi center to move in overlapping orbits but at different speeds to produce a unique, eye-catching effect.

The above and other objects and features of this invention will in part be apparent and will in part be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains, from the following detailed description, and the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing a display constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the display with a protective cover for the working parts thereof removed for clarity of showing;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on a line IIIIll in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section showing driving mechanism for a display constructed in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.

In the following detailed description, and the drawing, like reference characters indicate like parts.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the device includes a base plate or support member 10 which may be appropriately mounted as on one side of a box frame 12. The front face 13 of the base plate may be painted black or some other color which is relatively not noticeable.

As shown in Fig. 3, a bearing block 14 is mounted on the rear of base plate 10. The block 14 rotatably supports three parallel shafts 16, 17, and 18 that extend through base plate 10. An object of any suitable configuration and decoration is mounted ofl center on each shaft so that as the shafts rotate, the objects will move in orbital paths which overlap. Specifically, an object 21 which may be in the form of a ring, is shown mounted off center on the front end of shaft 16. If desired, a disk having a circular hand painted at the margin thereof can be used instead of the ring. The ring member 21 is mounted substantially parallel to the base plate 10 but is mounted off center and near the edge thereof so that the ring member 21 swings in an orbit as indicated by dot-dash lines 22 in Fig. 1. Similarly, a ring 23 having an orbit 24 is mounted on shaft 17, and a ring 26 having an orbit 27 is mounted on shaft 18. As shown in Fig. l, the orbits of the rings overlap. The rings are spaced various distances from the base plate 10 (see Fig. 3) so that the rings can swing in their orbits without interference.

As indicated in Fig. l, the rings may be painted difierent and contrasting colors, so that, as the rings swing in their 2,795,065 Patented June 11, 1957 orbits, they form an attractive and eye-catching arrangement of various colored rings.

Mechanism for driving the rings is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown, a pulley 31 is mounted on shaft 18. Similarly, a pulley 32 is mounted on shaft 16, and a pulley 33 is mounted on shaft 17. Each pulley carries a counterweight 36 to counterbalance the weight of the ring carried thereby. A belt 38 runs on the pulleys to drive the pulleys and turn the rings. As shown in Fig. 2, the pulleys are of various sizes, the pulley 32 being larger than the pulleys 31 and 33, so that the pulleys and rings swing at various speeds. In addition, idle pulley 38 is provided over which the belt passes between pulley 31 and pulley 32. The belt is so arranged that pulley 31 rotates in one direction, while pulleys 32 and 33 rotate in the opposite direction.

."l he belt 38 also runs on a drive pulley 39. Drive pulley 39 is mounted on a shaft 40 which also supports a drive wheel 41. The drive wheel 41 in turn is engaged by a motor driven shaft 42. The shaft 42 is driven by an appropriate electric motor 43. The shaft 42 and the drive wheel 41 may each be provided with a rubber coating or the like, so that there is a frictional engagement between the shaft 42 and the wheel 41 for driving the rings of the display.

In Fig. 4 is shown a drive mechanism for a sign having a plurality of rings 46, only one of which is shown. The ring 46 is driven by a pulley 47 on which a belt 48 runs. The belt 48 in turn passes over a drive pulley 49. Drive pulley 49 is mounted directly on a motor shaft 51 of a motor 52. The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 employs a low speed motor, whereas, the motor 43 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, may have substantially higher speed.

Preferably, the drive pulleys 31, 32, and 33 (see Fig. 2) are of three different sizes so that the pulleys and rings swing at various and unrelated speeds and the rotation of the rings appears to be a random type of motion. Each ring swings back and forth into and out of the orbits of the other rings causing an unusual and eye-catching ap pearance.

The displays illustrated in the drawing and described above are subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A display which comprises a base plate of an unobstrusive color, a plurality of shafts projecting through the base plate and rotatably mounted therein, a circular display object of contrasting color mounted off center on each shaft to rotate orbitally when the shaft associated therewith turns, the orbits of the objects overlapping, the objects being spaced from and substantially parallel to each other, a pulley mounted on each of said shafts on the rear side of the base plate, the pulleys being of different sizes, a drive belt running on the pulleys, and means for driving the belt to turn the pulleys, the objects being rotated at different speeds by the belts and lpulleys, the ob.- jects swinging in overlapping orbits.

2. A display which comprises a base plate, a plurality of rotatable shafts projecting through said base plate and rotatably mounted therein, a display object attached to and mounted off center on each shaft, said objects being spaced from and substantially parallel to each other, the orbits of the objects overlapping and means for driving the shafts to cause the objects to rotate in unison.

3. A display which comprises a base plate, a plurality of rotatable shafts projecting through said base plate and rotatably mounted therein, a display object attached to and mounted off center on each shaft, said objects being spaced from and substantially parallel to each other, the orbits of the objects overlapping, and means for driving the shafts at different speeds relative to one another to cause the objects to rotate in unison.

4. A display which comprises a base plate, a plurality of rotatable shafts projecting through said base plate and rotatably mounted therein, a display object attached to and mounted olf center on each shaft, said objects being spaced from and substantially parallel to each other, the 1 orbits of the objects overlapping, and means for driving the shafts, one of the shafts being driven at a difierent speed relative to the speed of rotation of the other shafts, to cause the objects to rotate in unsion.

5. A display which comprises a base plate, a plurality of rotatable shafts projecting through the base plate and rotatably mounted therein, a circular display object attached to and mounted ott center on each shaft, the orbits of the objects overlapping, the objects being spaced from and substantially parallel to each other, and means for driving the shafts at various speeds to cause the objects to rotate in unison but at various speeds.

6. A display which comprises a base plate, a plurality of parallel spaced shafts rotatably mounted in the base plate, a display ring mounted on each shaft adjacent the 20 edge of the ring, the rings rotating orbitally when the shafts are turned, the orbits of the rings overlapping, the rings being all on the same side of the base plate and being spaced at various distances from the base plate so that the rings swing in their orbits Without interference, the base plate being of an unobstrusive color, the rings being of contrasting color, and means for driving each of the shafts at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined direction to cause the rings to swing at predetermined speeds, to give the rings the appearance of random type motion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,360,536 Avery Oct. 17, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 601,037 Germany Aug. 7, 1934 

